Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke has introduced the COVID-19 Military Backpay Act of 2025, a bill aimed at providing backpay and restoring benefits to U.S. service members who were discharged under the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“Thousands of brave men and women were stripped of their rank, pay, and honor for standing up for their personal medical freedom and constitutional rights,” said Zinke. “The Biden administration’s vaccine mandate was a betrayal of our military community, and even after it was overturned, the damage remains. This bill is about righting that wrong.”
Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate. The House bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Rich McCormick (R-GA-07), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09), Jimmy Patronis (FL-01), and Michael Cloud (R-TX-27).
According to information released with the bill, nearly 8,500 active-duty personnel were discharged for refusing to comply with the vaccine requirement. More than 60,000 Reserve and National Guard members were barred from duty as a result, leading to loss of pay, benefits, and retirement accruals. An estimated 100,000 service members and their families experienced consequences due to the policy.
Although courts later ruled the mandate unconstitutional and it was repealed in the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act, many affected service members have not received compensation or reinstatement.
The proposed act would authorize backpay and benefit restoration for eligible service members under the Military Pay Act. It also calls for an efficient opt-in claims process for those wrongfully discharged or penalized. In addition, it supports President Trump’s Executive Order seeking to reinstate service members impacted by the mandate.
Ryan Zinke currently represents Montana’s 1st district in Congress after replacing Steve Daines in 2023. He previously served in the Montana Senate from 2009 to 2013. Zinke was born in Bozeman in 1961 and now lives in Whitefish. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree and earned another degree from National University in 1991.
